China’s economy has grown more than five-fold during the last 20 years, adjusted for inflation—making it the second-largest economy globally, behind only the United States. The outcome of the 2024 U.S. presidential election will shape relations between the two countries for the next four years. Trade stands as one of the defining platform topics, with bipartisan support for reducing the United States trade deficit by lessening dependence on imports of critical Chinese goods. As he argues, China’s dominance in clean energy technology, contrasted with the U.S. reluctance to foster collaborative partnerships that could enhance American global competitiveness, may pose a critical issue in the coming years. Moreover, Kirby critiques the geopolitical implications of tariff-centric policies, suggesting they reflect broader anxieties about American global leadership with respect to technological supremacy.